Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,155 in Kinmen versus $1,149 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,889 in Kinmen versus $1,950 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,623 in Kinmen versus $2,751 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs are close between Kinmen and Chiayi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kinmen 13% lower, Chiayi 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 NT$163

$6.71 NT$217

-24.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.53 NT$986

$40.61 NT$1,311

-24.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 NT$172

$5.88 NT$190

-9.18%

Cappuccino

$2.91 NT$94.1

$2.24 NT$72.2

29.91%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.56

$1.16 NT$37.59

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$23.29

$0.77 NT$24.99

-6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 NT$58.8

$1.88 NT$60.8

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 NT$87.9

$2.98 NT$96.3

-8.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 NT$107

$3.21 NT$104

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 NT$61.6

$1.90 NT$61.3

0.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 NT$90.4

$3.03 NT$97.9

-7.59%

Eggs

$2.87 NT$92.7

$2.92 NT$94.2

-1.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 NT$616

$19.98 NT$645

-4.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 NT$257

$9.89 NT$319

-19.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 NT$543

$20.10 NT$649

-16.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 NT$148

$5.12 NT$165

-10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 NT$79.4

$2.87 NT$92.6

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 NT$86.8

$2.76 NT$89.0

-2.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 NT$115

$4.12 NT$133

-13.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 NT$88.4

$2.83 NT$91.5

-3.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.1

$2.17 NT$70.2

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NT$66.8

$1.88 NT$60.6

10.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NT$40.00

$1.33 NT$42.92

-6.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 NT$129

$4.06 NT$131

-1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 NT$431

$4.78 NT$154

179.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$56.2

$1.79 NT$58.0

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 NT$80.5

$2.43 NT$78.3

2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 NT$27.90

$0.84 NT$27.07

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.11 NT$1,263

$39.58 NT$1,278

-1.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 NT$95.7

$2.93 NT$94.6

1.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.13

$0.42 NT$13.43

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$333

$10.02 NT$324

2.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$33.04

$1.04 NT$33.56

-1.92%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K NT$1.1M

$37.9K NT$1.2M

-6.47%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.2K NT$846.5K

$27.4K NT$883.6K

-4.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$85.0 NT$2,745

$72.4 NT$2,338

17.43%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.67 NT$797

$19.02 NT$614

29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.62 NT$730

$24.90 NT$804

-9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NT$1,188

$37.31 NT$1,205

-1.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 NT$485

$15.33 NT$495

-2.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 NT$333

$11.98 NT$387

-13.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$420 NT$13.6K

$644 NT$20.8K

-34.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K NT$500.0K

$18.5K NT$596.1K

-16.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 NT$2,717

$59.1 NT$1,907

42.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 NT$1,117

$32.77 NT$1,058

5.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 NT$2,905

$91.9 NT$2,969

-2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,252

$123 NT$3,987

-18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NT$14.2K

$426 NT$13.8K

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 NT$9,201

$290 NT$9,369

-1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 NT$33.0K

$1,042 NT$33.6K

-1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NT$23.5K

$720 NT$23.3K

1.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,837 NT$253.1K

$3,045 NT$98.3K

157.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,223 NT$136.4K

$1,834 NT$59.2K

130.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,116 NT$68.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.19

-0.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kinmen: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Kinmen and $426 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kinmen vs $41.00 in Chiayi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $379 per month, with Kinmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kinmen vs Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,732 in Kinmen and $1,724 in Chiayi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $439 in Kinmen versus $426 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $420 in Kinmen versus $644 in Chiayi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiayi – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $31.00 in Kinmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,155 in Kinmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Kinmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kinmen and Chiayi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Chiayi wins on affordability, Kinmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.